Yesterday, Microsoft released the first Windows 11 2026 Preview Build ( Build 26220.7535 ) with update KB5072046 to the Dev and Beta channels. It contains several new features, including Copilot-powered image descriptions for Narrator, a new Windows Spotlight icon, improvements to Cross Device Resume, and more.
Interestingly, it also contains a new Group Policy for managed devices, but it is very strange.
The latest preview build includes a new policy called RemoveMicrosoftCopilotApp for Windows 11 Enterprise, Pro, and EDU SKUs. The name suggests that it allows IT administrators to remove Copilot from an organization's devices, but that's not the case. This policy only applies to devices and users that meet all of the following conditions:
This essentially means that IT administrators will only be able to remove the Copilot app for customers whose device has both Copilot apps installed via a clean install or by the IT team, and as long as the Copilot app has not been running for a month. So even if you accidentally open the Copilot app for a second because it is in the Windows taskbar, the Copilot app will not be able to be uninstalled.
This is a rather strange policy, but it makes sense from a business perspective for Microsoft. While, at first glance, the company gives the impression that IT administrators will be able to remove the Copilot app from managed devices (as they should be able to), they don't have that much control, as the criteria for removing Copilot we mentioned above show us.
There doesn't seem to be any technical reason for this restriction, and it's more about ensuring that Copilot remains on managed devices for as long as possible. It won't be easy to remove, even for IT administrators.
This is not surprising, given how much Microsoft has been promoting Copilot, despite persistent backlash. There is no denying that implementing this group policy is unnecessarily complicated – seemingly intentionally – for the end customer.
You can view the group policy by going to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows AI > Remove Microsoft Copilot App.
Copilot Actions in Windows 11 (WARNING)
Although the press releases will range from very select to rare, I said I'd pass...because sometimes the editors hide.
